Blogger's Quilt Festival

It's that time of year again! Our dear Amy from Amy's Creative Side is hosting the Blogger's Quilt Festival. Whether you came here just to see my entry or you are one of my usal readers, welcome! Leave a comment, come back again, you know the drill!!!


This is the second baby quilt I made. Like the first one, it was meant as a gift to my friend's baby (who then became my husband's godchild incidentally) and it was used on the day she came home from the hospital.


I was inexperienced and felt more comfortable with a simple design, so I chose a brick pattern. Also, the father of the baby is a civil engineer (hence the bricks) and the mother is a lawyer, so the idea of books also crossed my mind.

I took pictures of every step of the way, because when doing my first baby quilt I didn't take a single picture and I learned my lesson!








It's called the "Bubblegum quilt! because of the shades of pink. This quilt was very special to me for one simple reason: I had been trying to conceive a child since before knowing my friend was pregnant and time was passing by and still no baby. I was by my friend's side every step of the way through her pregnancy and by the time her baby was born I still hadn't gotten pregnant. While making this quilt I cried at times, not out of envy or anything like that, but because I loved her unborn child that in some ways replaced the one I wished to have. I made sure that every stitch was full of love and in the end it was almost like therapy. I must confess that I saved a piece of my favourite fabric (the one with birds and flowers by Robert Kaufman) hoping to use it one day in a baby quilt of my own... and guess what? Now I'm expecting a baby girl!

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 :)

Nicey Jane

I'm still not able to sit down and sew, but that doesn't mean my mind can't wonder around. I'm planning a crib quilt for my princess so I'm gathering all my pink-green-yellow stash. I have come across a problem though: the fabric I want to use in the back is Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane Dream Dot, either in clementine or celery. I thought I had more than I do... and ayway I reallyy need a lot. The piece I had I'm almost sure I ordered from Sew Mama Sew around my birthday, but now I can't seem to find it, Fabritopia doesn't have it, I've never tried to order from other stores and I don't know if Heather Bailey's shop ships internationally, so I'm running out of ideas. Can anyone help me?

Finally!

I had to wait 6 months, but Ii finally have photos of my first baby quilt. This should teach me never to give away a quilt before taking a picture...

De cama até Novembro / Bedrest until November

Aparentemente, o pior já passou e este mês que passei de repouso ajudou a ultrapassar os problemas que tive. No entanto, para jogar pelo seguro e uma vez que continuo com muitas dores de barriga a ponto de me impossibilitarem de levar uma vida normal, o médico quer que continue de cama até Novembro, pelo menos. Sim, ele acrescentou essa cláusula...
om a bebé - sim, em princípio é uma menina!!! - está tudo bem, a nível de desenvolvimento, de tamanho, etc. Ufff, pelo menos isso.
O Outono já se instalou definitivamente e tem-me dado vontade de voltar a pegar nas agulhas de tricot. Isso é algo que posso fazer na cama, ao contrário dos projectos de costura que tinha em mente para o enxoval, e acho que é um bom sinal sentir vontade de produzir algo. De resto, tenho lido, comecei ontem o 3º volume da trilogia Millennium do Stieg Larsson, voltei a ver todos os episódios da "Anatomia de Grey" desde o início, vou hoje começar a 5ª temporada, e tenho andado viciada no "Solitário". Alguma coisa tenho que fazer para passar o tempo, né?

So it seems that the worst is over and that this last month in bedrest helped me recover from the problems I was having with my pregnancy. But, just to be sure, and since I'm still in a lot of pain to the point of not being able to lead a normal life, my doctor wants me to stay in bed at least until the end of November. Emphasis on the "at least".
The baby is growing and developing just fine (what a relief let me tell you!!!) and it will most likely be... a girl!!!
In other news, Autumm has definetely arrived and I've been feeling a knitting vibe. That I can do from bed, not like sewing, and I think it's a good sign to want to produce something. Other than that, I've been reading, just started the third volume of Stieg Larsson's Millennium collection, I've been watching "Grey's Anatomy" from the beggining, today I start season 5, and I've been addicted to playing "Solitaire": Hey, a girl's got to do something with her time, right?

Motivos de força maior / Bigger than me

O que me tem impedido de actualizar mais o blog e até de costurar é na verdade uma coisa boa: estou (finalmente) grávida, mas é uma gravidez de alto risco que me obriga a estar de repouso absoluto na cama (tirando as aventuras no hospital, ja la vão quatro).
Espero ter boas notícias sobre mim e a minha muito desejada Helena, por agora resta-me fazer a minha parte para que ela venha ao mundo só lá para a primavera...

What's been keeping me away from the blog and the sewing machine is actually a good thing: I'm (finally) pregnant, but it's what the doctors call "a high risk pregnancy), which forces me to be in bedrest the whole time (except for my little adventures in the ER - four times already, and counting).
I hope to have good news soon about me and my much awaited Helena, for now I'll do my part to make sure she only arrives next spring...

I wonder why...

Ultimamente ando cheia de "um dia vou fazer isto" e "um dia ainda hei-de fazer aquilo" e costurar que é bom nada. Não me apetece, não me sinto inspirada. E quando é assim não forço. Qual seria a lógica? Mas não deixo de me questionar: porque será?

Lately I've been full of "someday I'll do this" and "someday I'll make that" but I have no sewing to show for it. I'm not in the mood for sewing, I don't feel inspired. And when this happens I don't push it. What would be the logic in that? But, still, I wonder: why is that?

Someday...

I'll make a fabric mobile too!

I have a dream, a silly dream, but a dream

Someday all these jars that I'm saving will be full of buttons!!! And from what I've seen, I don't think I'm the only one with an obsession for buttons...

Os meus novos quadros / My new paintings

Quando se tem uma cunhada que pinta, as paredes nunca estão vazias. Tenho tantos quadros que quando me apaixono por um novo, o marido pergunta sempre: e onde é que o poríamos?
Pois bem, apaixonei-me por uma colecção que retrata os bairros de Lisboa, é uma impressão em tela feita a partir de foto-montagens. Eu adooooro recortes e foto-montagens e alguns destes quadros partem de postais antigos e depois juntam alguns elementos característicos de cada bairro. Eu comprei o da "Baixa-Chiado" porque é a minha zona preferida em Lisboa. Depois nos anos ofereceram-me o do "Bairro Alto e Princípe Real", que era o meu segundo preferido. Depois voltei à feira de artesanato e comprei o de "Campo de Ourique e Estrela e Lapa" porque é também uma zona lindíssima e desde que trabalhei em Campo de Ourique fiquei-lhe com um carinho especial. Agora só me falta dois bairros e depois vou pendurar todos na cozinha - a única divisão até agora imaculada!!!

When you have a sister-in-law that paints, your walls are never naked. I have so many paintings that every time I fall in love with a new one, my husband asks: and where would we hang it?
Well, I fell in love with a collection of paintings portraying the neighbourhoods in Lisbon, it's a printing on canvas made out of pictures and scraping. I love that kind of thing and some of these paintings have in the background old postcards and then the typical elements of the neighbourhood are added. I bought "Baixa-Chiado" because it is my favourite place in Lisbon. Then on my birthday my friends gave me "Bairro Alto and Princípe Real", which was my second favourite painting. Then I went back to the crafts fair and bought "Campo de Ourique and Estrela and Lapa" because it's also a beautiful part of the city and ever since I worked in Campo de Ourique I hold it in my heart. Now there are only two paintings left and then I'll be hanging them in the kitchen - the only room in the house that was still paintings-free!!!

A minha contribuição / My contribution

Para o 1º Encontro de Patchwork em Portugal.
Achei que, já que quase ninguém gosta de roxo (não percebo porquê), bem que podia representar um pouco esta cor. Além disso, dois dos tecidos utilizados (o do centro e a moldura em roxo) foram-me oferecidos por uma das minhas parceiras na International Fat Quarter Swap de há uns meses, portanto achei que faria sentido doar o que me foi dado.
Fiz um bloco misto de log-cabin (a minha 1ª tentativa) e bricks, fiquei contente com o resultado!!!



For the first Patchwork Meeting in Portugal.
I figured that since almost noone likes purple (don't know why that is), I might as well represent some of that colour. Besides, two of the fabrics I used (the one in the center and the purple border) were given to me by one of my International Fat Quarter Swap partners, so it was only logical to give what had been given to me.
My block is a mix between log-cabin (my first attempt) and bricks, I'm happy with the result!

One of these days...

This will become a pillow.



This will be the perfect journal cover.



And this will be a toilettries bag.

Ric rac

I have recently inherited several meters of ric rac. It's vintage. Believe me, it belonged to the grandmother of someone old enough to be my grandmother. And I was its lucky recipient.



My favourite one is the yellow, because it's the brightest of them all, but of course that's the one I have less quantity of. I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but the other colours are pale green, navy blue, dark brown and deep burgundy (you can't imagine how many times I have wanted to say "deep burgundy", it sounds so much lovelier than "grená" or "cor de vinho" ahahah). There is also a pale pink one, which is not exactly ric rac, it's more like crochet, and it would look lovely in a little girl's dress, for example.
In the spirit of sharing, does anyone want me to send them some of this ric rac? If so, please tell me how much and of which colour(s). I'm also considering having another giveaway, in which I could include this and also some selvedges I have been saving.

Parenthood...

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!!!

Summer holidays

We (as in me, my husband and our crazy dogs) will go enjoy our summer holidays at my parent's summer house in Algarve.
Here are some pictures to show you what this region where I've spent all my holidays since I was born means to me. I just wish these photos were mine, they are really nice, right?

(Image by Angelo Stramasso @Olhares)

(Image by Fernando Salgueiro @Olhares)

(Image by Joana Duarte @Olhares)

(Image by Luis Filipe Costa @Olhares)

(Image by Nuno Abreu @Olhares)

(Image by José Barreiro @Olhares)

(Image by Fernando Oliveira @Olhares)

(Image by Cristina Matos @Olhares)

(Image by Atilio Francisco Pinho @Olhares)

I don't think I'll have internet access, so no posting during the next fortnight. But I'll be back with lots of photos and hopefully some sewing done. Yes, even surrounded by all this beauty, I think I'll be taking my sewing machine and some projects with me :)

I will definetely make a quilt...

Inspired by this one. L-O-V-E it!!! Check all about it here and here.
(Image from Cherry)

I got a feeling...