The Post in Which I Whine. A Lot.

*cue super sad violin music*

I went to the doctor again today. Apparently when you make it past your due date, they make you come in twice a week. That's a lot. The short version is that gone are the high-flying days where they would induce you just because you were close to your due date, carrying a big-ish baby, and about to have a very public meltdown. Now it seems it's healthier for everyone involved to keep the baby in your belly as long as you can. It's kind of like a contest. And while the baby stays in and keeps growing into a toddler, they hook you up to machines and make you have expensive tests to make sure the baby is still okay.

In case you're wondering, they really don't care if mommy has public meltdowns. Trust me. I speak from embarrassing experience.

So we continue to wait. And wait. And wait. I have a million things that need doing, but only enough energy for about 2 of them. And my poor kids. You know, the ones that are already here. They are very anxious to block this whole pregnancy from their memories. And did I mention that my hands go numb? Yeah, that's a fun part of my pregnancies.

The point is, donuts are my friend.

So that's my poor, pitiful life right now. I need another nap just thinking about it. Hope your part of the world is going well. I'll unveil the most darling baby quilt in another few days. It takes long to quilt with numb hands.

*end super sad violin music*

40 + 1

40 weeks and 1 day. 

Someone help me.

Just in Case you Wondered

I am still here. I am still pregnant. To say that I hope she comes this week is a huge understatement. My hands are slightly puffy, as are my ankles. And getting up from sitting requires an involuntary "Ooomph." Curly has begun giving my belly a stern talking-to before he heads to work each day, telling baby it's time to GET OUT. Clearly this little one listens as well as her siblings.

On tap today is to clean all the sheets and dirty towels, get laundry caught up, and clean the kitchen. And go into labor. But once the sun goes down, this little chica can sit tight. I hate the idea of going into labor in the middle of the night. It worries me so.

PSA

Remember when I talked about my kids being sick? And how it was awful? And the worst week ever? Well, I was wrong. I mean, it was awful and a pretty bad week. But things can always get worse. Much, much worse. 

When I took Ginger to the doctor, she prescribed a steroid for her cough. We dutifully began the prednisone on Wednesday night, and a second dose Thursday morning. By Thursday evening, Ginger had been replaced by her evil twin. I took a video of her screaming at me and sent it to my mom with the note, "This is why people drink." Thursday night my inlaws arrived, and on Friday morning, with just 3 teaspoons of steroids in her little body, Ginger snapped. She screamed, she kicked, she hit. She sassed and she refused to say "sorry" and "please." Curly put her in time out. In order to get out, all she had to do was tell Mommy "sorry" for screaming and being rude. 

Ginger refused.

For two hours, my baby screamed and yelled and said things like, "I do NOT SAY SORRY!" By noon, I joked that she must have Roid Rage. By the Saturday evening, after enduring two days of massive temper tantrums, throwing toys and kid-size furniture, and mean talking by a 3 year old, we were convinced. We stopped giving her the medicine and waited for Ginger to come back to us. 

When she laughed on Monday, the first time in days, we all rejoiced. My inlaws breathed a huge sigh of relief that their favorite grandchild was not actually possessed by the devil. Then we all agreed that I should have gone to medical school, because I rock at diagnosing.

I also rock at quilting, even though I haven't had the energy much lately. I made this for a customer and mailed it off yesterday:

Pattern is Ruby, Pearl, and Opal from the Moda Bake Shop.

So there you go. A cautionary tale about the overuse of steroids and a pretty little quilt. What more could you want on a Wednesday?

Retreat!

In the past 10 days, I think I have left my house 3 times. I mean, I've gone out to the mailbox and to supervise the dog's bathroom breaks and stuff. But as far as getting out of the house to go somewhere, it's been 3 times. 2 of those times were to a doctor. The third was to Target. It is still my happy place. 

You can understand then why a quilting retreat sounds more enticing than ever. Anyone else have cabin fever? Riley Blake is hosting their first ever retreat in Vegas this fall. 

If I'm being honest, which I always am, it sounds like heaven on earth. In the FAQs, it gives all the details about pricing, lodging, and supplies needed. Unfortunately, it says that no one under 18 can go. If I take Baby strapped to me, do you think anyone would notice? 

Some of my favorites will be at the retreat. First of all, Eleanor Burns will be there. One of the first quilts I made was her Log Cabin in a Day pattern. I gave it to my sister for her wedding. It's an awesome quilt. I have no pictures of it! I digress....Amy Smart will be there to teach a few classes. If you haven't met Amy yet, it's worth the price of admission just for that. She is seriously the nicest person in the world. Not only do we have an unhealthy love of fabric in common, but she also gets my love of Frederick, MD. And, Amanda Herring will be there. To know Amanda is to love her. I mean that. She is so inspiring and fun and beautiful to boot. 

Have I convinced you? Go register!

The Week From...

This has been a rough week. It started out pretty darn great. Flower was here over the weekend and we had us some good times planned. On Saturday we went to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. Patch had been when we first moved here on a field trip. The place was awesome. We went ahead and sprung for a family pass. I can see many trips in our future.

One of the things for which Pittsburgh is so famous is Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. At the museum, they had several memorabilia items. For example, a replica of the tree and all the original puppets.

 Also, a sweater. This particular one was knitted by Mrs. McFeely. I had a moment where I thought, "Whoa! That was her REAL name?" Yes.

I love what the plaque says: "Fred often talked about and sang about how 'making something for someone is one way to say "I love you."' And how receiving something graciously is a way to say 'I love you' too."

Isn't that great? Isn't that why those who make stuff do it? I think that deserves a post unto itself.

While at the museum, Patch began to fade. I thought at first that he just had low blood sugar, but by 8:30 pm he had a fever. And then a cough. And then the next day, Flower started to cough and not feel well. And then Monday afternoon, dear Mini-me took a turn for the worse. Flower went home, and Patch and Mini-me went to the doctor, earning a diagnosis of bronchitis and ear infections. And then began the week home from school. Mini-me felt well enough to go today, which is when sassy-pants Ginger decided to come down with a fever.

And then I fell down the stairs and bruised my tailbone.

Can this week be done yet? Yes? Good.

The View from Tuesday

Here are some thoughts I am having today.

• Yesterday was 62. I opened all the windows and aired out the house. Today we are having snow flurries.
• I have two pairs of pants that fit. One is pink sweatpants. The other is jeans. Guess which ones I wear most often?
• Yesterday evening, while trying to close one of said open windows, I got a little stuck between the bed and the wall. Mini-me, ever observant, said, "Don't worry, Mom. You'll get your body back."
• I live very close to a good mall. I have been several times. Located in the mall is Crate and Barrel. I have deliberately stayed out of that store because it is my budget kryptonite.
• I need about 2 naps a day to function. It's getting a little ridiculous.
• My due date is in about a month, and I have yet to begin Baby's quilt. Related: I have a name picked out, but it's not for public consumption. 

How are you doing this fine Tuesday? 

Friday Night Sew-in

On Friday I signed up for the sew in over on Heidi's blog. I had a quilt I needed to finish binding, so I hunkered down on my bed and watched tv and sewed. It was the best night.

I started this quilt over 2 years ago with my friend Colleen. It was for our mutual BFF Lauren. She was expecting baby #3, so instead of making her baby a quilt, we made her a quilt. We used a layer cake from Fig Tree Quilts (I can't remember the fabric line), and found some blocks we liked in a book. It looks gorgeous in person. I sure hope it doesn't get "lost" in the mail. For her next baby she's just getting some burp cloths. 

 On Saturday my production mojo continued. As my laundry machine did all the heavy work for me, I pieced this block from Camille's new Fireworks pattern. I love it. I'm using Seaside by Riley Blake. It's going to look so fresh and summery when it's done. Hopefully it will be done in time for summer. And by "summer," I am specifically referring to Summer 2013. Not some random summer in the future.

And finally, Mini-me has asked for a folding chair in her room. She also wants a cushion for said chair. So, she picked some fabrics from my stash and then chose a block she liked. I used one of the blocks from Jeni's Half-Square Triangle block of the month. I love it so hard I'm going to have to do the entire quilt. You know, in all my spare time.

So it was a good weekend, sewing wise. I have a huge list of things to finish in the next 2 months before baby arrives. If I only get one of them done, I will feel extremely productive.

Tuesday!

I woke up today thinking, "It's only Tuesday? I have the whole week left to get things done!" On a related note, I love my iron supplement. The best part of this week is what's happening on Friday. My real-life besties are coming for a visit. I need to think of a new name for them, since I don't live close to them, either. All of my besties now live in my phone and/or computer. I'm learning to cope.

One thing all my besties have in common is sewing. Another thing is how much they love me. A third thing is that sometimes they are jealous of me. But mainly, it's sewing. We may do some of that this weekend. Or, we may just watch Pitch Perfect and laugh hysterically and drink Diet Coke. Whatever we do, it will be nice to be together.

I got to work on my Halloween Swoon this week. I finished block #5. I think it's my favorite so far.

 I love how the black stands out and the darling purple in the middle.

Did I ever show you block 4?

 It is not my favorite. I had a cutting issue. Or a losing fabric issue. It caused me to need to piece one of the components. This block will probably be hidden in the bottom corner of the quilt.

And now, all 5 together.

I am in love. And I also apologize for the weird angle. It's just, well, awkward. But back to being in love. I am so glad I decided to make this quilt. It is going to be a favorite for certain. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I really hope I get this finished by this year!

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday.

Snow

Over Christmas break, we had quite a bit of snow in the 'Burgh. We made a few trips over to the local golf course to get our sled on. Some really enjoyed it. Others went once and called it done. Can you guess who was in each group?

 Yep, Mini-me and Patch loved it. They went no less than 3 times. Flower and Ginger prefer to admire the snow from inside.

 We got sleds for Christmas last year. This was the first time we got to use them. Also the first time for using the snow pants and boots Grandma and Grandpa gave them last year.

Mini-me got new gloves for her birthday. She soon switched to her waterproof ones. That snow was cold.

So, come on, winter! Give us some more snow. We can take it.

QAL Flickr Group

The Bestie QAL flickr group is now open for business. Go here to join, and start adding photos, if you don't mind. As soon as I find my camera cord, I will be adding mine. And if you want to play along but don't have a bestie, you can be mine. I'm easy.

I've started taking an iron pill and I feel fantastic. I feel like I could run, which would look really funny at this stage of pregnancy. But really, I feel so good. I wish I had known about my anemia sooner. The fatigue that I've felt has been awful, and it could have been largely prevented. Oh well. We're on the downward slope -- 9 days weeks until my due date. I need to get cracking on baby's quilt. I have the cutest fabric and a fabulous pattern all picked out. If I get it done, she will be the first baby who has had a quilt before she was born. The other kids had to wait awhile. Ginger still doesn't have one I made. Oops.

Did I ever show you the advent calendars I made this year? I made them for my etsy shop and sold them all. (Note to self -- make cute Christmas stuff for me, too.)

They were really cute, and really fun to make. I'm working on a version of them to keep year round. I'll show pictures soon. You know, as soon as I find my cord.

Bestie Quilt-a-Long

You know how sometimes you meet someone, and you immediately click? That's how it was for me and Candice. And as for Jackie, well, it took her calling me an ignorant *^%& at Market for us to really hit it off. My life would not be the same without these ladies. So when Candice suggested we make matching bestie quilts, I was all in. While I would much rather make a late night Chipotle run with them, I will settle for snuggling with a quilt that reminds me of them.

Do you have a bestie? Care to join us? The rules of the Quilt-a-Long are simple: grab a bestie (or casual acquaintance if you're prickly), pick a pattern and some fabric, and get quilting. Jackie, Candice and I are going to Swoon with Flea Market Fancy.  While there is no timeline on this QAL, my personal goal is to have it done before the baby comes in March. This QAL is all about having fun with the people you love to spend time with. 

Oh, and PS, this is great for using up your stash. Come on, you know you made that resolution, too. 

So leave a comment letting me know you're joining us! Grab the button and put it on your blog. Instagram your progress with #bestieqal. We'll be setting up a Flickr group before the end of the week. And anyone need a bestie? I'd be happy to play matchmaker. Seriously. 

Coming Soon

Details to follow shortly!

The Last Day

Here it is, the last day of 2012. I started out the year extremely content. I loved our little house on Market Street. I thought we had the perfect number of children. I had big sewing goals -- 12 quilts in '12! -- and big personal goals as well.

Ha. Hahahahahhahhahhahahaha.

Lesson learned: never be content.

I am ending 2012 in a new house. In a new city. In a new state. We are adding another child. I came nowhere near my sewing or my personal goals. I am ending 2012 much happier than I started. How is that possible? I don't know. But it is.

 A highlight of my year was going to Market. The best part? Meeting my virtual besties in real life. Those gals continue to cheer me on and inspire me from afar.

 The second best part of Market? Being a part of the book. (PS -- I made the quilt below 3 times this year. The pattern is in the book. I never took a picture of quilt #2. I am lame.)

Another highlight? Meeting The Butlers.

In small circles, I'm kind of a big deal. In big circles, I'm a total doofus. (Did you notice that David and Amy don't wear name tags? That's how awesome they are. They don't need them.) (Did you notice my crazy stalker face? Yeah, me too.)

So here's my simple goals for 2013:

1. Sew more. And finished some things -- namely my Halloween quilt. Oy.
2. Have a baby.
3. Be happy.

Here's hoping 2013 brings all of us the best year of our lives. 

Handmade Holidays

Here we are in the throws of another holiday season. Feeling merry? I hope so. I'm struggling a little, I'll be honest. I'm tired and a little stressed. Oh, and pregnant. Very pregnant. With raging hormones. Seriously, they rage. One minute I want to hug the world for happiness, the next I am in my closet in tears. The trigger? It could be anything. Once it was that I ran out of milk. Again. Today at the store I bought 3 gallons. Take that, hormones.

Raise of hands of those making a few holiday gifts. Come on, don't be shy. I love a well made and thought out handmade gift. And I love giving those gifts, too. This year I have some things up my sleeve that, if you were pregnant, would leave you weeping in the corner. For my girls' birthdays, I am making them doll houses. For Christmas, I am still narrowing things down. I think Patch will get a Mario pillow. I wish I had time for the whole quilt.

For those who need some ideas, Amanda put together an a-mah-zing e-zine, featuring her new line Flutter. Check it out here. My project is the ruffled apron. There's a link to the tutorial within the e-zine. Today she posted three more tutorials, found here.

By the end of the weekend I hope to have the stockings done and the house all decorated. That is if I'm not crying.

You Know What?

You know what's awesome about being a sewing blogger around Christmastime? You guessed it -- so much going on, can't show any of it. I have so many balls in the air. And today I finally managed to figure out what to make for a very difficult person on my list. Phew. In the St. Nick of time! Now if I could extend my day by about three hours, and also up my energy level, that would be great.

In addition to all the gifting, I am making a little something for me. I've had this cute Christmas quilt in the works for years. The top is now all assembled. I just need to quilt it. I'm so happy with it. So is Ginger, who has to step on my quilts as I lay them out. I have another one on the floor today. She ran all over it.

What are you working on? Anything fun?

etsy update

I just finished updating my etsy shop. It's been awhile. I'm not going to lie -- moving instead of doing a craft show has put a huge dent in my holiday budget. I want to give my kids something other than tears on Christmas morning, you know? (Did you hear a tiny violin playing a slow, sad song as you read that? You should have.)

My father-in-law sent me an email late last night proclaiming me to be a slacker because my blog was severely neglected. Please, everyone, jump all over that. I moved! With kids! And pregnant! Thanks so much. Almost all our boxes have been unpacked and I have started sewing again. What I can't find are my batteries. I put them someplace that, at the time, made so much sense. I have been to all the logical, and now illogical, places, and I still can't find them. What I do have, however, is instagram. It's my favorite app, and now you can see all those pictures online. Find me here!

Before my camera died, we took a family picture while Flower was here over the weekend. This was one I liked, but didn't choose for the Christmas card:

So, to sum up, almost all the boxes are done, my FIL called me a "slacker," and I updated my etsy shop. Happy shopping!

My Curly

Curly is one helluva guy. And I'm not just saying that because periodically he checks my blog. Nope. Here's why he's awesome:

Last night he lit a fire in the fireplace and we settled in to watch some shows on the DVR. Grimm was on, and in one scene the character wakes up from a dream underneath a patchwork quilt. Curly says, "Wow. He has a nice quilt." I look at him, a little in shock. But, really, being around a quilter like he is he should be able to pick out the nice quilts from the Wal-Mart variety, right? Then, and here's the best part, he says, "Don't you have that fabric?" He was referring to a tiny square of purple fabric.

The fabric is from Kate Spain's Central Park line from a few years ago. And yes, yes I do have that fabric.

He's a keeper.

Tutorial

Just popping in to tell you that my friend Jackie has a fabulous tutorial over on the C&T Publishing blog today. Go check it out!

Things are slowly coming around to normal here. I love our new area. And our house? It's fantastic. Mostly because of my sewing room. If I get my chores done today, I can finish the quilt top I've been working on. Pictures soon.

Thanks for sticking with me. I have big, fun plans for Christmas crafting. I'll share soon, kay?

It Happened

We moved. Just like that, we are from Pittsburgh. We are slowly making our way through boxes. There are just so many boxes. The kids started school yesterday and love it. They take a bus. It was so hard to watch them get on that thing yesterday. I cried. I never cry when they go off to school. My stomach was in knots all day thinking and worrying about them. But they did fine. I should have known they would. Today was our first day of normal life because Curly went back to work. It was very quiet around here.

I just made Mini-me cry because she voted for Obama in the school election. I had no idea she had liberal tendencies.

So that's life in the 412. This weekend I get to put my sewing room together, and then the Whos down in Whoville will gather and sing. Amen.