I'm still alive

And in search of inspiration for a new baby quilt. I had in mind presenting one of my best and oldest friends with a quilt for her baby, but then her pregnancy took a turn and all plans had to be put on hold. Now the baby (born very prematurely) is finally at home, I have the fabrics - my friend asked for yellow, i know her favourite colour is purple, then i pink-fied it a little bit, so now that's the range I'm working with. Just need to choose a block and... find the time... (it's getting harder everyday and the lack of sewing, quilting and blogging can speak for myself).
It's safe to say I'm addicted to squares, but my last quilt (a picnic quilt for my daughter's kindergarden teacher as a tolken of this first amazing year) was a disappearing 9 block, so maybe no squares for now.
Any suggestions? I plan to take pictures of the fabrics and post them. But it's a plan, not a promise (stopped making those a long time ago...)

Seal of approval

For all those cat owners out there... here goes to show that my lab also enjoys the batting stage :)



(Baby H. quilt is finally coming together!!! More pics coming soon!)

Time

I've had a project in mind - it's a gift for my friend - and it implies finding out each member's favourite colour. I'm finally going to start on it on Monday and I remembered that when I had the idea I wrote her an email asking her for the inside information... 2 years ago.

So, I've been thinking about doing this for 2 years and only now will I have the chance to finally do it.

Isn't this crazy???

Progress on the baby front

My mother and I have been busy. I finished the bibs she started and knitted the yellow and the pink boots, she knitted the white and pink boots. The yellow boots will have matching scarf and hat. The cutest!!! But wait until you see the blanket she's knitting! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Open for debate

So I'm planning the whole decoration of the nursery, right?

I'm in bed all day, searching the internet, buying stuff online...

And I'm thinking about the curtains and the crib quilt, etc etc etc. Now that I know it's a girl, I've got the right fabrics and... I'm missing a quilt pattern. I'm all for squares, always have been and always will be, but besides squares, there are other patterns I like. I just don't know if Ii like them enough for such a high stakes thing. I mean, it's my first (and probably only, by the look of things) baby and I want it to be perfect. Am I being foolish to put such pressure in this? I know that I'll be making her other crib quilts eventually, maybe not curtains - those I plan to use for a long time - but why oh why is it so hard for me to decide which pattern to go with? Should I just do a sampler quilt? I like squares, bento-box, circles, disappearing 9 patch, bricks, I like a lot of things... I don't particularly like stars and pinwheels but... there're OK too.

Because of my limitations (both physical and experience-wise) I was just thinking of keeping it simple, but then my mom and my husband bullied me a bit into something more out of my comfort zone and then my sister in law said something that also got me thinking... I mean, I'm so confused and I haven't even started anything.

So... since everyone around me is already throwing their ideas at me even if I don't ask for them, at least YOU could give me your ideas. Yes... I'm asking...

What should I do???

The daydreaming continues...

(photo @ Vertbaudet)

Besides the crib quilt, which is yet to have a design, I'm planing on making the curtains, inspired by the photo above (I can't tell anymore if I had the idea and then saw this photo or if I saw this photo and decided to make something similar), using some of the quilt's fabrics for the pockets and making different shapes of pockets, not just square ones.



(photo @ IKEA)
Also, I want to make the crib bumper (I think that's the name in english), but I'll probably make it in a solid colour so that it matches all the sheets and different quilts I may make after this first one. The crib is 70x140 cm, which is bigger than usual, because it will turn into a toddler's bed, that's why all the sheets and quilts will have to be customed made... by me eheeheh
And then I thought I will also need those pannels to hang in the crib's side to put stuff in them, and while you're at it, why not matching it with everything else, right? So.. I'm thinking I need a lot of fabric. And you know what else I need? I need to get out of this bed!!!! I'm seriously going mental here... last day of freedom was September 13th (Bella Swan's "birthday" funny enough).

Change of heart

Well... thanks to all your wonderful suggestions I went in pursuit of the best price to buy as much Dream dot as I oculd find... but then I came across Erin McMorris' Flower Shower in gold at the amazing price of 3.99 (it's a sale on Above All Fabric, go check it out). ialready had 3 fatquarters of the Wildwood collection - this exact one, the popsicle trees (unfortunately not the green version) and another one - and was planning on using them in my princess' baby quilt. These fabrics are actually the reason why I got so into the pink-green-yellow colourway in the first place. So it's only fair that I choose it for the backing. And with the money I saved, I can buy some Dream dot for the quilt top (and some other fabrics too, one can never have enough).

I'm happy happy happy about my very smart purchase. Now I just need to get better and leave this damn bed so I can start sewing. I'm 18 weeks pregnant and had my first contractions some days ago, the doctor said if I has any I had to stay in bed so that's not very good news for me and my sewing machine. But, as I said, I'm happy happy happy and I can be in denial until my next doctor's appointment :)

A work in (relatively fast) progress

This is the new baby quilt I was telling you about. Before piecing it...



And after piecing it.




I found that all these squares made a too square quilt (does that even make any sense?) so I had to add 4 more rows. So now there's a total of 300 squares of 5 cm, that have 4 cm after piecing, of course. Without the binding it now measures 60 cm x 76 cm. Is it too small to be used in a stroller? I have no idea...

I have already chose a flannel for the backing (something appropriately called "Bundle of Joy")and I'm using a leftover of bamboo batting. Now it's just waiting to be quilted. The question is:

how to quilt it?

If I make little X's, I'll probably end up with a very busy quilt, what with all the colours and patterns and all. The sames goes for free motion quilting, which by the way is lovely and fun but is it just me or the quilts loose some of that soft feeling to them? I have never been successful at stiching in the ditch, which seems ideal to me in this quilt, but man there's a lot of ditches around here... It scares me crazy! And I can't go with my usual quilting (1/4 inch to both sides of the ditch) because then the lines would be too close together, because the squares are kind of tiny (ish).

So, any suggestions?

I'm taking my time with this one (I started roughly a week ago) and having lots of fun. My mother has already seen it and liked it so much she even praised it to her guests on saturday (that was a first, the praise, not the guests), so I'm feel AOK with this. And of course I'm uber excited about finishing it, like I always am. Boy do I love some finished project!!!

Back on track

Estou de volta! Regressámos mais cedo do Algarve e agora temos estado aqui por casa sem fazer nada de especial, porque está demasiado calor para mexermos mais do que os olhos...
No entanto, confesso que tenho mexido um pouco mais do que isso porque arregacei as mangas e comecei uma nova baby quilt. Vai consistir em quadrados de 5 cm todos saídos do meu monte de restinhos. Neste momento já cortei 208 quadrados e tenho um calo na mão. O meu cortador rotativo precisa de uma nova lâmina (o que contribuiu para a formação do dito calo) e tenciono ir em breve À Dotquilts adquiri-la, aproveitando para comprar flanela para as costas da manta e levar o meu bloco para a iniciativa "Patch Solidário". Ainda não fiz o bloco, mas isso é só um pormenor... Fotos em breve!!!

I'm back! We returned from the algarve sooner and now we are just wandering around the house not doing anything, because it's too hot to move more than our eyes...
However, I have to confess that I've been doing a bit more than moving my eyes because I went straight to work and started a new baby quilt. It will be made of 5 cm squares entirely out of my scraps. So far I've cut 208 of them and got myself a blister in my hand. My rotary cutter needs a new blade (hence the blister) and i plan on buying it at Dotquilts, where I also need to buy flannel for the back and hand in my block for the charity that it's being organised. I haven't made the block yet, but that's just a little detail... Photos will follow soon!!!

Pick yourself up and try again

I have been reading some posts lately about quilting without obbligation and expressing ourselves instead of losing ourselves trying to meet other people's expectations and likes and dislikes.
I have always thought of myself as a very independent, confident and strong person, with enough self-knowledge and self-esteem to not cave under other people's points of view. I stand by me, even if noone else does (which is not the case because if there is someone who believes even more in myself that I do that person is my husband).
But everyone makes mistakes, everyone has regrets, everyone changes their minds. I'm not perfect, and I'm no exception.
Having said that, meet my "ugly quilt", the one quilt that has been unfinished for some time because from the begining I was not 100% sure of it. I chose colours outside my comfort zone and I didn't exactly plan a pattern, instead I just followed along someone else's instructions. (A quick note is due here: I was making this quilt in my quilting class with someone whose opinions and knowledge I deeply respect. I was not forced into anything, it was all my doing, and I didn't share with her my doubts about this project. I understand now that I was inexperienced and didn't know what I wanted or what I liked and I take full responsability for this project's unsuccess).


This was supposed to be a lap quilt for me and the colours are in harmony with my living room decoration. But the fabrics don't go well together, the pattern is too busy and I has this sort of "old lady" feel to it. I hate it! I don't like anything about it.
But I'm not giving up so easily. Thankfully, I hadn't pieced it yet and I still have some of the fabrics, so it's time to start over. I'm taking this with me on my summer holidays and the seam ripper will be my best friend. When I return from holidays I will think of another way to piece it, a way that I will love.

I have learned my lesson. Don't be too hard on yourselves, don't expect to love everything you make. If you are having second thoughts about something, if you are not enjoying the process of making it, take a break, think it through and if that's the case start over. It's good to take inspiration and learn from other people, but at the end of the day we have to be the ones who live with our decisions. So I choose to listen to my heart.
I'll keep you posted!

Ok, so maybe a few new fabrics are allowed...

Who could resist these?

Scraps only!

Reality check

Sabemos que estamos viciadas num projecto quando o trazemos connosco para o emprego, para aproveitar a hora de almoço. :)

You know you're addicted to a project when you bring it with you to work, so you can work on it during your lunchtime. :)

True to the core

UPDATE: I managed to keep the deadline, I sure did. But it meant going to bed at 7 a.m. and the cerimony was at 11 a.m. and we still had a one hour drive to get there. ooops!!! The following night I slept like a baby!
I had to hand sew the biding and that took me a LONG TIME. I finished doing it in my bedroom bathroom not to wake up the husband. ahahaha This is a story i'll tell my grandchildren!
It looked great after finished and everyone loved it. Too bad I didn't have time to take pictures before giving it and was too embarassed to ask for it after giving it. Yeah, I know, I'm a dork!

Claro que a minha alma de jornalista só podia dar nisto: o baby quilt é para oferecer no sábado dia 20 e eu comecei-o no sábado dia 13. ehehe
Decidi fazer um disappearing nine patch para o quilt top - está giríssimo e muito colorido, posso já dizer - e hoje vou comprar o batting. Sou capaz de também comprar um sólido para o binding para não sobrecarregar a coisa (tinha escolhido um tecido de polka-dots em azul-turquesa mas acho que não chega).
Agora o novo dilema é a parte de trás. Quero algo simples, para poupar tempo e trabalho, sinceramente, e também porque a parte da frente já tem vida suficiente. Tinha reservado um tecido mas agora não gosto de ver, acho que é demasiado escuro e sério em relação à parte da frente. Sou capaz de fazer uma mixórdia qualquer com o que ainda lá tenho (se bem que estou a ficar um bocado forreta em relação a gastar os tecidos até ao fim - vejam lá a lógica disso, afinal comprei os tecidos para os usar, não?). Por isso, se calhar hoje também compro tecido para a parte de trás. É sempre uma boa desculpa para comprar tecido, afinal não compro nada desde o Natal :O
Penso que hoje consigo fazer a parte de trás E fazer a sanduíche. Amanhã "quiltaria". Depois de amanhã faria o binding (o meu pesadelo). A sexta-feira seria para os imprevistos - porque eu sei que não vou conseguir cumprir estes prazos que estou a impor a mim própria - ou, sendo optimista, seria para descansar. Ou para ir comprar roupa e sapatos para usar no baptizado no dia seguinte. Não me serve de muito levar uma prenda toda nice mas aparecer lá de calças de ganga, não é?



My journalist soul couldn't lead me anywhere else but here: the baby quilt is due on the 20th and I started it on the 13th. ehehe
I decided to do a disappearing nine patch for the quilt top - it looks great and very colourful, if I may say so - and today I'll go buy batting. I might also buy a solid fabric for the biding because otherwise it will look too "busy" (I had thought of a blue polka-dot fabric but I don't think I have enough).
Now my dilemma is the back. I want something simple, because to be honest I can't afford to waste time with it, but also because the quilt top is so colourful. I had a fabric in mind but now I don't like it anymore, I think it's too dark and grown-up compared with the quilt top. I might mix some large pieces of fabric I still have there (even though I'm not comfortable with using all the fabrics, which is so lame given that I bought them for that reason, go figure). So today I might also buy some fabric for the quilt back. It's always a good excuse to buy fabric, after all I haven't bought any since Christmas :O
I think today I could do the back AND pin the top, the batting and the back together like a sandwich (there's probably a specific word for this in english but I can't remember now). Tomorrow I would quilt. The day after tomorrow I would do the binding (my nightmare). Friday would be room for the unpredictable - because I just now I won't be able to keep up with this self-imposed schedule - or, if I'm optimistic, I could rest. Or I could go shopping for a dress and some shoes to wear on the cerimony. There's not much sense in giving such a nice present but showing up there in jeans, is there?

Good news or bad news?

As boas notícias:
entre as arrumações e os caixotes por causa das obras, encontrei alguns tecidos novos daqueles que recebi de prenda de Natal e dos quais já me tinha esquecido completamente. São verdes e azuis, por isso são perfeitos para o baby quilt que tanto me angustia de momento.

As más notícias:
não são realmente más, porque ter mais tecido do que pensávamos é sempre bom, mas agora que afinal tenho mais quantidade e variedade, terei mesmo de repensar o padrão do quilt...

Parece que a vida está a querer decidir por mim!



The good news:
while packing everything in boxes and going through stuff because of the house remodelations, I found some of the new fabrics I got for Christmas. I had forgotten about them completely. They are blue and green, which means they are perfect for the baby quilt that has been my angst lately.

The bad news:
it's not exactly bad news, because having more fabric than one had thought is always nice, but now that I have more quantity and variety of fabrics, I really will have to rethink my quilt pattern.

It seems as though life is giving me my answer!

Up in the Air

Não, não vou falar sobre o filme de Jason Reitman, embora o tenha visto e apreciado. Roubei-lhe o título só para fazer um trocadilho, pois na verdade até quero falar sobre o meu eventual excesso de optimismo (o que nem sequer tem nada a ver com o filme...).
Vou fazer o meu primeiro baby quilt e tenho um deadline. Isto de ser jornalista até às entranhas acaba por ser engraçado porque só sei viver com prazos, e normalmente estico a corda até mais não e na só mesmo na hora H é que termino de fazer alguma coisa. Mas cumpro sempre os prazos, isso é uma questão de honra (olha, outro título de filme... hmmm wonder why?).
Então... o deadline é 20 de Março, a data do primeiro aniversário e baptizado do bebé que será presenteado.
E... ainda não comecei. É verdade. Ainda não comecei. Já escolhi os tecidos e o padrão, o que já não é mau, visto que essa fase é, para mim pelo menos, ou ainda, uma das mais morosas.
Mas tenho noção de que estou a ser demasiado ambiciosa e de que provavelmente deveria escolher algo mais simples, que já tenha feito, quadrados ou pin wheel por exemplo, em vez de me lançar num padrão que ainda nem sequer está bem definido na minha cabeça e que vou a modos que inventar à medida que for avançando (estou a exagerar, eu fiz um desenho, ok?).
Só que estou um bocado limitada em termos de tecido - olhem para mim a arranjar desculpas para ir comprar mais LOL -, fui comprando alguns fat quarters já com este baby quilt em mente, entretanto vi um tecido para rapaz - o que costuma ser raro - que adorei mas cuja graça toda se perderá se o cortar em pedacinhos pequenos, enfim...
E, claro, também estou limitada em termos de tempo. Não faço a mínima ideia de quando é que vou ter tempo para me dedicar a isto, visto que entre acabar um trabalho, fazer obras em casa e organizar o babyshower de uma amiga, não sobra nada...

Por isso, o dilema do dia é: cair em mim e fazer alguma coisa mais simples? Ou acreditar que vou conseguir e seguir em frente?

E se sigo em frente e depois caio em mim???



No, this post isn't about Jason Reitman's film, though I have seen it and liked it. I just stole this title to talk about my possibly being too optimistic (which actually has nothing to do with the film...).
I'm making my first baby quilt and I have a deadline. Being a journalist to the core has its funny things: I live by deadlines, usually I postpone to the last minute possible and make it just in the nick of time. But I never miss a deadline.
So... the deadline is March 20th, the baby's first birthday and also he's baptism day.
And... I haven't started yet. That's right. I haven't started yet. I've chosen the fabrics and the pattern, which is something, since that part is, at least for me, at least for now, one of the most time consuming stages.
But I just know that I'm being too ambitious and that I probably should should something simpler, that I'm familiar with, like squares and pin-wheel, instead of a pattern that I have in my head and that I'll be making up while I'm going along (this is me exaggerating, I made a sketch, ok?).
It's just that my hands are a little tighed up in terms of fabrics - listen to me trying to make excuses to buy more LOL -, for some time now I have been buying fat quarters here and there with this baby quilt already in mind, in the meantime I found this great fabric for boys - which is rare - but I'll ruin it if I cut it into too little pieces...
And, also, obviously, I'm a little short on time too. I have no idea when I'll find the time to work on this, between finishing work I have, having a house makeover, organizing a friend's babyshower party...

Therefore, the question is: do I come to my senses and make something simpler? Or do I believe I'll be able to do this and go forward?

And what if I go through with it and then come to my senses???

Panic attack!

Falta uma semana para o Natal. UMA SEMANA!!! Socorro!!!
Não tenho feito outra coisa senão costurar. Aliás, hoje na minha hora de almoço também costurei. Sim, levei o tapete e o cortador e os alfinetes e a fita métrica e tudo e tudo e tudo atrás... LOL
O secretismo continua, por isso não posso publicar aqui fotos dos progressos, com muita pena minha. Mas posso dizer-vos que:

- SIL project - DONE
- toalha de mesa dos meus pais para a minha sogra - DONE
- toalha de mesa de nós para a minha sogra - IN PROGRESS
- avental para a avó - CORTADO
- avental para a filha da minha madrinha - DONE
- avental para a minha mãe - OOOOPS
- avental para a minha sogra - OOOOPS
- prenda de anos para um amigo - OOOOPS
- prenda de anos para uma amiga - CORTADO
- prenda de anos para outra amiga - paciência, já fizeste anos, fica para a próxima (LOL)

Enfim, nem tudo está perdido...



One week until Christmas! ONE WEEK!!! HELP!!!
I haven't done nothing else besides sewing. In fact, I even spent my lunchtime today sewing. Yes, I took my mat, my ruler, my cutter, my pins, my everything, along with me... LOL
I'm still in secrecy mode, so I can't post any pictures yet, much to my dismay. But I can tell you this:

- SIL project - DONE
- tablecloth from my parents to my MIL - DONE
- tablecloth from us to my MIL - IN PROGRESS
- Grandma's apron - CUT
- My godmother's daughter's apron - DONE
- Mother's apron - OOOOPS
- MIL's apron - OOOOPS
- birthday present for guy friend - OOOOPS
- birthday present for girl friend - CUT
- birthday present for another girl friend - we're sorry, your birthday is long due now, maybe next time (LOL)

Not everything is lost then...

One down... err... how many more to go???

A única maneira que arranjei de fotografar minimamente em condições (ênfase no "minimamente") o primeiro dos vários aventais* que quero fazer para o Natal, desde que cada um demore menos tempo do que este, foi no chão, muito embora o tapete não esteja propriamente a ajudar. E nem sequer se vê bem os pormenores das plicas e dos bolsos forrados, snif snif!
Tenho de arranjar uma top model para estas ocasiões...





The only minimum decent way (emphasis on the "minimum") to photograph the first of several aprons* I plan to do for Christmas, as long as they don't take me as much time as this one, was on the floor, despite the rug not helping much. And you can't even see the details, snif snif!
Gotta get me some top model for this situations...



*Pleated Bodice Domestic Goddess Apron, by Amy Butler

Linda menina / good girl

Tenho andado a portar-me muito bem. Todo o tempo livre que tenho (embora não seja muito, de facto) tem sido aproveitado ao máximo pois tenho muitas prendas de Natal por fazer.
Já estou bastante adiantada com a prenda da minha cunhada, que é, admitamos, a maior, embora não necessariamente a mais difícil. Deixo isso para os aventais, sem dúvida.

Fiz uma pausa na minha manta para o sofá, mas mesmo assim tenho tudo também muito adiantado.

E, last but not the least, ontem não fui sozinha à aula na Dotquilts! A minha grande grande grande querida e linda amiga Janeca também foi e começou um projecto muito giro: uma colcha aos quadrados só com tecidos sólidos de cores primárias para o sobrinho de 3 aninhos. A ideia dela é depois fazer um aplique de um carro em estilo naive num dos quadrados.

Volto em breve com fotos, prometo! Por agora... cá vou eu!



I have been behaving myself. All the free time I have (though it is not as much as I would like) has been occupied with sewing, for I have a lot of Xmas presents ahead. I'm deep into my sister-in-law's present, which is, let's say, the biggest endeavour, though not necessarily the most difficult. That I leave to the aprons, no doubt.

I'm taking a break of my sofa quilt, but it's not forgotten, on the contrary.

And, last but not the least, yesterday I didn't go alone to my class! My great great great dear and beautiful friend Janeca went along and started her own cute little project: a bed quilt with squares of solid primary colours for her 3-year old nephew. She also thought of doing an appliqué of a naive car in one of the squares.

I'll be back soon, with photos, I promise! For now... off I go!

You heard me right!

Já tenho falado do quilt que estou a fazer para os meus serões no sofá. Comecei-a nas aulas na Dotquilts, com tecidos que comprei lá, de cores outonais (não por causa da estação mas porque são as cores da minha sala - bege, areia, laranja, chocolate).
Queria aprender a fazer triângulos, por isso o centro vai ser um pin-wheel, a barra que emoldura o centro será um nine-patch, e acho que já sei qual dos tecidos fará o debrum. Mas não posso pôr o carro à frente dos bois, pois a verdade é que estou realmente a procrastinar. Aliás, "procrastinar" talvez não seja a palavra certa, mas não me ocorre outra.
Estou cheia de medo de não gostar, porque acho que não tem muito a ver comigo. Não tenho um motivo lógico para este receio, porque gosto dos tecidos e fui eu quem quis fazer triângulos. Não sei, simplesmente sinto-me mais ligada a quadrados e a tecidos coloridos e alegres.
E também não estou assim tão atrasada. Já tenho tudo cortado e toda a gente sabe que isso é das coisas que leva mais tempo. Certo? hehehe
Eis o que tenho andado a fazer (e a não fazer tanto quanto queria...).




I've mentioned the quilt I'm making for my evenings spent in the couch. I started it in my classes at Dotquilts, using fabrics I bought there, in autumn colors (not because of the season we're in but because those are the colours of my living room - beige, sand, orange and chocolate).
I wanted to learn how to make triangles, so the center top is going to be a pin-wheel pattern, the framing will be a nine-patch, and I think I already know which of the fabrics I'll use for the biding. Oooh, but not so fast. The truth is I have been procrastinating. Well, maybe "procrastinating" isn't the right word, but I can't think of another.
I'm afraid I won't like the result, because I don't think it's "me". I don't have a logic reason to think this way, since I like the fabrics and I was the one who chose to do triangles. I don't know, I just so much more into squares and bright and happy colours.
And I'm not that far behing either. I have everything cut into pieces and everyone knows that is one of the most time consuming tasks. Right? hehehe
Here is what I have been making (and not making as much as I would like...).