Go BIG or go home. {a.k.a. The Tale of my first Quilt)

Last week when I shared the intersecting lines whole cloth quilt, I mentioned that it was not technically my first quilt.

Nope.  It was my second.  I began my first quilt (the one above) a year ago with a dream, a pin (of the Pinterest kind), and some fabric.  Forever ago, I mentioned that making a quilt was on my bucket list.  At the time, I didn't have a sewing machine but apparently my husband was listening (err, reading) because on the following birthday, he gave me the best sewing machine in the world.  The lady who sold it to us mentioned that free motion quilters love the vintage model that I now own--I nodded as if I knew what she meant and made a mental note to "google free motion quilting".

In all honesty, I thought making a quilt would be something I'd try later on--muuuch later.  Like retirement age.  But one fateful day, I came across a quilt on Pinterest that really piqued my  interest.  This quilt:

Hello Luscious Quilt by Ashley of Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night

photo used with permission

Awesome quilt, right?  Yeah, I thought so, too--so armed with the inspiration, I moved forward.  It took a few weeks to choose the right fabric and I settled on Domestic Bliss by Liz Scott for Moda.  I used a layer cake, which, if you're unfamiliar with the term (as I was) is a stack of precut 10"x10" fabric squares from the coordinating fabric line.  It's a great way to showcase lots of fabrics that were made to coordinate.  (Just for your info: I bought the majority of my fabric from Donelle Fritz on Etsy and was very pleased with the service I received over two different orders.)

There were so many lessons learned along the way.  Now that I've made two quilts, I'm working on a post specifically about the what I've learned so far as a rookie quilter.  I thought there may be others who want to dip into the world of quilting and perhaps my noob's perspective could be helpful.  A lot of the advice I found on quilting came from seasoned professionals, and though extremely legit, there are some tidbits that could be gained from a beginner--for instance--don't feel the need to buy all of the things the quilters specifically suggest, like curved safety pins, because it may be overkill for your first quilt.

I am SO proud of the quilt that I made for Elliott's bed.  It's fun, colorful, and girly, and though very imperfect it's structurally sound and should last a long time.  As I quilted along, I'd think back on the pioneer women who did everything by hand from scraps of fabric from here and there and I felt so proud to be joining the many who have wrapped their children in blankets made with love.

-Tristin

Intersecting Lines Quilt

Like many days, today is a busy day, and though I have 3.5 million things on my to-do list, I'm using some coveted naptime--a.k.a. my 'freetime' unwisely to share a quilt.  I just feel like it and I don't want to let the feeling get away, you know?  I'm sure you do.

I made this quilt for a friend who recently welcomed her third son to her beautiful family.  Being the third boy, I know there's plenty of hand-me-downs to share, but certainly little baby Ridge (cool name, right?) could use a quilt that belongs only to him.

I wish I could say that this is an original idea--it's not.  I found this quilt on katie did and just knew I had to make one.  I love the idea of whole cloth quilts.  It's economical, fun to customize, time-friendly for moms of babies, and great practice for new quilters like me.  If you're new to quilting (like me) this is an excellent place to start.

The colors of nature provided the perfect palate for this cozy blanket.  Robin's egg blue, leafy green, and tree-bark brown worked together well for a masculine yet still baby-ish quilt.

The front of the quilt has a small square of Joel Dewberry faux bois fabric with the new baby's name embroidered into it.  The quilt was begging for just a bit of personalization; after all, it is rather plain otherwise.

The intersecting and imperfect lines of this quilt proved to be a great way to practice my quilting skills and a super-fun way to get aquainted with my new walking foot.  In case you were wondering, I fell head-over-heels-in-love with my walking foot.  It makes this teeny tiny clicking sound that's just so comforting as it marches along the fabric with ease and confidence.  Didn't know a sewing machine foot could have so much character, did you?

I haven't shared it yet, but this baby quilt is actually my second quilt.  Earlier this year, I completed a MASSIVE undertaking by making  a queen-sized quilt for Elliott's bedroom as my first.ever.quilt.  It's a chevron design made of half square triangles and I even learned the sacred art of free-motion-quilting (and consequently fell in love).  If you're thinking "boy, she's crazy for making a queen-sized quilt as her first", I wholeheartedly agree with you.  It was crazy, but sometimes diving in head-first is the way to go.  Maybe soon I'll share that finished quilt that has become so near and dear to my heart.

Much love,

Tristin

5 1/2 Hour Throw

If you follow me on Pinterest, you know that I love to pin crochet ideas.  The problem with all of the lovely crochet inspiration I pin  is that often each afghan you're looking at takes like 8 months of stolen moments, and though I'd love to make it happen, I tend to gravitate toward projects that are achievable in a weekend or two at most.  There's just something about having kids and their need to eat and have attention and such...

Enter the 5 1/2 hour throw from Lion Brand.  Yeah, it takes a lot of yarn.  A lot of expensive (yet super-awesome chunky-textured) yarn...but it's totally doable in a weekend.  Have you worked with Wool-Ease Thick and Quick yarn yet?  I'm telling you, it's so satisfying and smooth and buttery... Luxurious might be a good word.  And they don't even pay me to say that!

This 5 1/2  hour throw took me like 4 months to make.  Funny right?  Granted, I started it right after I had Bennett--so--you know, the whole newborn thing can be a real crochet-killer (and sleep-killer--but pretty awesome in every other aspect, right?).  I made it as a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law last Christmas (and I'm just now getting around to sharing it with you) and I'll be honest, I'd love to make one for myself one day--so yeah, it's awesome. 

If you're looking for some doable DIYs for Christmas gifting, this may be a fun one to try!  Maybe I'll make another this year!

Oh, and in the time it took me to make this throw and post it... my kiddos have.grown.so.much.  Elliott is in preschool now and Bennett (who we pretty much only call Benji) is walking around like a pro.

Doesn't time just fly?

Vecco DIY Rug Kit

Okay, okay, yes, I know how long it has been since I've posted.  I'm aware.  But with the invention of Pinterest and the million awesome craft blogs that are out there, can you really say you've missed us much?  Probably not.  But for sure, I've missed blogging.  So here I am.

I'll freely admit that I'm here primarily because someone lit a fire under me--in terms of a DIY with a deadline.  In other words, the fine folks at QVC offered some fun DIY rug kits in exchange for feedback-- naturally, I had to give it a try!

Specifically, the product is the Vecco Design Your Own Rug Set.  In the kit, everything is provided to make one 18"x30" rug for your home.  Here's what the kit and all the little bits look like:

I'm totally a sucker for nice packaging, so I was pretty happy with how the rug and the supplies were displayed upon opening the box.  It's nice to have a DIY project where you don't have to go and gather your supplies (because mine tend to be in a disastrous and disorganized state the majority of the time) and everything is already set up for success.

The kit I used is called "Geometric" and it came with lovely pea green and sky blue paints for the rug.  Truthfully, the hardest part of the project was designing how I'd make it my own.  In true Tristin style, I ditched the included stencils and made my own monogram template with Contact paper.

I also taped off the edges with painter's tape to create a border.  Then came the painting--and boy was I ever nervous!

Surprisingly, it went pretty well, and once I got over my painting anxiety, I was pleased with the results.  

My westie just couldn't resist photobombing--and can I blame him?  He looks especially dapper with his fancy short haircut (which for the record costs way more than my own haircuts).

All in all, I was happy with the project!  It was definitely different than anything I've done before, but it's not rocket science so almost anyone could be successful.  There were a lot of stencils included, but I really had a hard time finding anything that felt "right", which is why I took the slightly more complicated road of making my own stencil.  Is that surprising?  I try to customize everything--even rugs that come with tools for customizing, lol.

One thing I'll point out is that the paint colors can be quite deceiving--I actually made two rugs and when the spray paints dried they were both significantly lighter than the color of the initial application.  Doing a second layer of paint is not recommended in the kit (though it's not advised against either) so perhaps a second layer of paint would be beneficial.  Also, the paints tended to be drippy/runny at the beginning of application--once I'd sprayed for a few seconds it seemed to fan out as was intended (and yes, I shook the cans as the directions said to do).  I'd recommend spraying a little paint onto your drop cloth until you get the good "fanning" action that's desired for optimal spraying.

All in all, the Vecco DIY Rug Kit was super fun to try!  Wouldn't it make a cool gift for your DIY-lovin' friends and family?  You realize that Christmas is around the corner...right?!

Oh, and guess what?  I have like a million projects to share.  Seriously, in my long hiatus, I've made a LOT of things.  Come back soon... I'll have some new things to share!

-Tristin

P.S. The Vecco DIY Rug Kit will be featured on QVC on Wednesday night @ 7pm (8/28/13) on "You're Home with Jill".  Tune in if you're interested!

About You’re Home with Jill: Watch You’re Home with Jill Wednesday’s at 7:00pm ET.  Hosted by Jill Bauer, an active working mom with a keen eye for design, she’s been serving up simple solutions for a busy lifestyle on You’re Home with Jill since 2000.   Inspired by simplicity, Jill shares creative decorating ideas, entertaining inspiration, delicious dishes from the kitchen and more!

Disclaimer:  The products mentioned in the above post were received free of charge; opinions are 100% my own.

She's been here since July, and I'm a bad blogger!

Hey there!

Umm, since it's November, I guess I should tell you that I'm not 4 months overdue with baby number two--she's been here since the end of July.  Little Bennett was 2 weeks late and came swiftly when she was finally ready.  Labor was just under four hours from the first contraction to the last push--pretty quick, huh?  She was born at home, just as we had planned and I couldn't have asked for a better birthing experience.  I'll spare you the details of the birth (unless you want them... I actually like reading about other births, especially when they're positive experiences) and just say that I gave birth on the floor, next to my bed, while my dog sat in the bed and watched from above.  Kinda humorous, I think.

Bennett weighed in at 8 lbs and was 19 inches long--not too huge for a late baby, thank goodness!

Here she is, 20 minutes after birth, being checked out by my midwife--on my couch.  I still can't believe we were blessed to have such a cool birth.

Here is Elliott, meeting her baby sister.  (Elliott slept through Bennett being born--Bennett was born shortly after midnight.)

Me holding Bennett--she's not even a full day old at this point, I think.

She's a few days old here...

And here she is now.  3 1/2 months old, and oh SO sweet.

Till next time,

Tristin

Quilts for Bennett

Still no baby.  But while I know some of you are looking forward to baby pics, the only thing that could possibly come in as a close second is pictures of beautiful handmade quilts.  Lucky you, I have three to share!

We are blessed to have many people who love us and are excited to welcome little miss Bennett.  People share their excitement in many ways--and personally, I love that some people share their excitement in the form of handmade gifts.  Especially quilts.

My gal pal Laura (who you may remember from several guest posts) made this awesome simple and humorous quilt.  It's modern and clean, and she hand stitched whimsical swirls and flowers (which is not shown in my pic, unfortunately) all over the light green fabric.  Laura chose to leave the batting out of the quilt, as Bennett is being born in FLORIDA in JULY.  Does it get much hotter than that?  I'm a seriously sweaty pregnant woman.  I digress.  But seriously, don't you love the calm colors and the message?

This lovely quilt was made with love by a wonderful woman named Evelyn.  She used an awesome color combination that is so fun and feminine without being "pink".  I love the embroidered little girls on the light blocks.  They're very vintage looking and being stitched in bold red, they really "pop"!  It's seriously adorable.

Quilt number three is a double pinwheel pattern masterfully crafted by an avid quilter named Marsha that James works with.  I love the bright oranges and corals and eclectic fabrics all worked into a classic design.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.  When James brought it home, I laid it on the floor to take in its awesomeness and charm and immediately Elliott and our westie Brian started playing tug-of-war with a dog toy on top of it.  Marsha said that a requirement of receiving one of her quilts is that it must actually be used--not just looked at.  I agree, and I am glad to share that it was given a proper welcome into our home.  ; )

It amazes me how different each of these quilts is, but how much I love each one.  I like them all for different reasons and I treasure each of them and the women who created them.  I love the modern-feel, humor and calm colors of Laura's quilt, the girly vintage charm of Evelyn's, and the nod to classic quilts with the emphasis of a fun color scheme of Marsha's.

Isn't Bennett already a lucky gal?

Waiting for Baby.

So, I'm a week overdue and finally getting less nervous and more excited about her arrival.  Bennett, like Elliott, was a desired pregnancy, but as soon as I found out I was actually expecting, I kind of freaked out.

I'll liken it to skydiving.  The first time I went skydiving nearly a decade ago, I was not afraid.  You would think you'd be scared about jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet strapped to a barefoot Aussie named Simon (which, again, is the name we'd planned to use if we'd had a boy...) but I was not fazed.  In retrospect, I know the reason for my lack of healthy fear--I didn't know what to expect.

The second time I went skydiving, I was nervous from the moment I got in the plane because I already knew the stomach in your throat feeling I was about to have.  Also, this time I was strapped to the pot-belly of a redneck named Bubba.  I had a rough landing that resulted in an ankle injury and have never jumped from a plane since that fateful day.  Note to self: one should seriously question putting their life in the hands of a man named Bubba.  Keep that little pearl of wisdom tucked in your back pocket--I'm sure it'll be useful someday.

Now, it's not the labor that I'm afraid of.  As bad as that may be, it lasts for only a short time.  It's not the actual infant, either.  I've learned that they don't break, even though they look like they should.  I'm afraid of having another infant like Elliott--one that doesn't sleep, has a hard time nursing, and in general is a miserable baby.  Cool kid now, but daaaaang she did not like being a baby.



Elliott, at 8 weeks with our beloved Westie, Brian.

I also did not like being a mother for the first... say, 6 months or so.  Or maybe longer.  Heck, some days I'm still not thrilled at the prospect.  Truth is, I suffered from some pretty bad depression after Elliott was born.  I've been more and more open about that fact, and now I'm sharing it with you.  Prior to Elliott's birth, I'd never experienced "depression".  In fact, every time I saw a commercial for depression medications, I thought, "What a load of garbage--those people just need to cheer up".  Yeah.  I was one of those people.

And then I was humbled.  Boy, was I ever humbled.  Turns out all of those frowny-faced people in the commercials looked like they were eating popsicles at Disneyworld compared to how I felt.  I didn't think there would ever be a way out. 

Luckily, I have an amazing husband who supported me without questioning me or making me feel incompetent or crazy.  He was just there for me.  If I cried, he hugged me.  When I shared deep dark thoughts and feelings, he listened and sought ways to make things better for me.  He stayed up through the wee hours with me.  And it wasn't just my husband--my wonderful parents embraced me and were helpful, as were my in-laws.  There were others, too.  One in particular--a wonderful and worthy woman that I attend church with had "been there" before and she helped me feel normal and she has helped me realize that I can handle another child and that things can be different this time.


Elliott at 5 months, with her BFF.

Let's just say I'm approaching this new addition with a bit more apprehension than I did the first time around.  But along with that, I'm getting excited, too.  Newborns may be super-tough, but 6 month olds are pretty dern cute.  And you have to start somewhere, right?  I guess I'd love it if my kid entered the world as a three year old.  Then I may fear birth a lot more, but the kid?  No three year old can scare me.

To cheer the mood, I'll leave you with the quote of the day from Elliott:

"Mom, will you please play games with me?  You can be the winner." 

That girl sure does know how to get me off the couch.  A guaranteed win?  Why, thank you child.  I'll take it.