More Baby sewing

It feels so good to be behind the wheel of the sewing machine again.... I am dreaming of a sewing studio for next year... ooh! How wonderful! I won't have to pack everything up all the time!

Quite excitedly I anticipate a design wall and plenty of storage and display space as well as natural light, and air conditioning (a necessary here in Far North Queensland).

I have a wish list of sewing to-dos before baby arrives and the sewing machine and all that goes with it go away... I wonder just how much will be finished in time....

I made 12 very absorbent baby bibs from one towel, with ribbing and binding on the edges... such a joy to prepare bright and colourful wearables for my little one on the way!

It gives me great joy to make something useful and decorative.

Next year I will be decorating my studio and our new home.... I hope to have lots of finishes to show and tell.

For now, I shall have a rummage to see what I feel like making next.

Feeling content

Woohoo! It's a very exciting place to be in with two finished items posted today. *sigh*

All I needed was an hour or so on the sewing machine (which is now home again, with a newly inserted "bobbin stopper", whatever that is) to finish two projects!

 Front of the embroidered cushion

 Back of the embroidered cushion - a special yoga festival gift of gratitude

It's traditional to send flowers, but I think this kind will last longer.

The Swedish Baby Quilt which I named "Swedish Baby Garden". It is an absolute joy to complete a project that has made your heart sing!

 I know my sister is going to love it. It is her colours all over. I am sure she will send photos of the quilt in the nursery and with her Bub which is now 37 weeks cooked - this means Bub could be born at any time.

 The back is just as fun. Little mushroom fabrics surrounded by a red spot binding reminds me of Amanita mushrooms (toadstools). I love the contrast and the garden feel.

Congratulations Feupie, I am so excited for you.

And that's two parcels by registered post today. Oh! Feeling so content with these finishes.

Meanwhile

In the meantime, I am back to working on my own Baby quilt....

Still working out exactly how many flowers and half flowers to make. This should keep me busy at all those long hospital clinic appointments (last time I was there for 5 hours seeing 4 specialists).

When your sewing machine gets sick...

I was so excited to be finishing the Swedish Baby Quilt for my sister. She is due in only a few weeks, and so her baby could come at any time!! I finally finished all the applique, spray basted and prepared to quilt.

Alas! My sewing machine decided to have a melt-down mid-quilting.

Some of the quilting around the outer edge remains, and the binding must be stitched on.

My poor machine needs a service, and hopefully I can pick it up as soon as possible. Not only am I trying to finish her gift in time, but I want to finish the tapestry cushion, and I have been nesting like crazy by sewing away. I've added lots more leaves and flowers in the quilting - hence the quilt will be called Swedish Baby Garden.

Sigh.

Here is a little snippet of handwork I have been carrying around in my bag for Dr and Hospital waiting rooms. It's going to be a gift for our friend Laura. I wonder if she will use it as a wallhanging or on a table. She will Know what to do with it.

It must be the Right time to catch up on my blogging, do some reading, and exercises to prepare for a relaxed and calm birth.

Nesting: sewing or cleaning?

Some people use cloth nappies or old towels for burp cloths. Others use store bought items. I am in the mood to sew for Bub. I cut four hand towels in half (vertically) to give 8 pieces of towel. Then I stitched a colourful piece of fabric onto the back with right sides together, turned through, and top stitched. Ta-da!

These feel like traditional Bar Mats one would find in a pub. 

8 Burp Cloths

I think they will be just right for my Bub's personal Milk Bar when it opens for business. Heh heh.

I've also been sewing some bibs inspired by Jo. She showed me how to make them a few years ago.

At this stage I will put them away to work on two impending gifts - my sister's baby quilt and the cushion cover.

I feel like I'm nesting frantically by sewing sewing sewing! I wonder if that happens with other quilters and sewers. Who would clean if you could sew?

Rugging up

It's the middle of winter, and I am so happy in sunny Queensland where the days are mid 20s. We rarely wear jumpers or jeans. This means our baby born in October (mid Spring) won't need lots of knitted items, and will need few layers of clothes and bunny rugs.

Muslin Wraps - the Queensland bunny rug

Babies still like to be swaddled to feel secure and enclosed. So I've made these muslin wraps. Pictured are 9, and with 3 others gives a total of 12. 

That should be enough, to lose the occasional one if it blows off a pram when being used for shade, or to have spares in case of nappy blow outs.

It feels time to be preparing for Bub well and truly. 

All I had to do was buy metre lengths of muslin, trim the outside, and zigzag the raw edge.