Basically Babies

Basically Babies is an amazing charity. They make color-matched layettes to supply one year of all a new baby needs to families without resources. They started small and now have a warehouse filled with color and hundreds of donated items. This year, the are giving layettes to about 800 families.

Making quilts for them is relatively easy. I have scraps that make simple blocks or add to the panels -- which are easy to find. Backing usually takes another item from my stash, or wind up in a pieced version.

 This one is a growth chart. I added two borders; a gold narrow one and green a bit wider. It looks narrow but turned out 29 x 46" so could be a cuddle quilt if it does not get hung up to measure a growing child. I called it, "Please Help Me with my ABC's" and made it in a few hours. It is quilted using rulers and a few hearts done by freehanding around a plastic template.

There is another one on the longarm, not a growth chart but an alphabet with zoo animals. It will be here when it gets finished.

I've one more baby panel and then will start another scrap quilt -- my favorite way of making quilts.

Two more finishes

These are simple and easy. One is a panel growth chart and the other a combo of two blocks. Both used up some scraps, which makes me smile. I've another growth chart panel on the long arm. It might be done by the end of the day. It is only 11 am and only two interruptions so far!

Color is awful on this first one. It is a medium blue, not nearly as dark as this. The name, "Stuffies in Pale Moonlight" tells more about the colors and the lighter fabric. . . lots of teddy bears, etc. on it. It is 38 x 50." 

The other photo is not any better, but it is grey/black with a bit of color tossed in. it is 31 x 49" and called, "Mommy, I Can Read."

Lesson learned: Don't take pictures in artificial light. Even the excellent camera on my i-pad needs a little help (or tweaking).

 

 

Sweet Baby and a sweet surprise

The label went on, the record page is in my scrapbook, and this one is officially done. It will likely go to Basically Babies, but I like it so much that I might wait to see if someone near has a baby in their near future. It is a panel. I added the borders and find the color combination exciting. A name didn't come to mind so just used the writing on the fabric.

My surprise? This quilt below was made in a class in 2007. The teacher had been with Ricky Tims and was given permission to teach his kaleidoscope quilt. We purchased the pattern and had so much fun making it. Mine turned out about 50" by 50" and since then, I've made several more. Of course they all turn out differently. Anyway, when we recently moved, there is no place to hang it and it does not work with our warm color scheme so I decided to donate it to our Guild Community Outreach group. This morning the coordinator of that group called to tell me what happened to it -- it is now hanging in this city's Ronald MacDonald House! What a lovely surprise. There is a story how it got there, but that was not anything I did. I'm just blessed that the Lord decided to get it there in a place where others can enjoy it.

I'm working on my 12th quilt since our move the last week of October. All but two are baby quilts made from panels. It seemed I was finished but this week found four more in my stash. One is grey and black with a bit of bright blue in it and will use up the rest of my bits of blue in a border. Two are growth charts with the alphabet on them and the third is another alphabet panel with every color possible in it. That will make a big dent in my box of solid-colored scraps.

I'm still very tired most days and need to rest often. As my Dad often said, too many birthdays!

Pink Scraps

 

Scraps never fail to amaze me. I'm not that fond of pink and seldom use it. It may be the smallest pile in my stash. However, I saw an online picture that appealed, got out the pick bin, and just finished this lap quilt. I swear that scraps multiply in the dark.

Of course there are various tones, a few florals with pink in them, etc. I even used the wrong side of some that were just too bold the way they were. It finished at 59" x 61" and has a pink print backing with the same fabric on the binding. AND there is enough pink leftover to make another, likely a lap size or maybe a large baby quilt. 

However, next on the list is a panel for Basically Babies. So far, it is my favorite. It should be done in a few days. This pink one took longer because I decided to hand-stitch the binding. . . blame all those hockey games.

Btw, it hit -30C here this week, after being +7C all the week before. I keep saying, if you don't like the weather here, wait a minute! Good weather for long naps.

More from absent-minded me

Just noticed that I didn't title my last post nor post the most previous comment. This does not mean I've stopped quilting or that I've had too many birthdays (well, maybe not) but am so booked up with new things that I keep forgetting some of the important necessities.

This past couple of weeks have consisted of dinners, visits, a funeral, meetings, much email, running errands, writing Bible study material, a birthday party for a 100 year-old friend, and having a few unexpected and bizarre things like a dream with a name in it of no one I know so googled it and found out the person is friends with people I know in two generations and on both sides of my family. I've never had names for the strangers in my dreams before. Love the mystery of it. 

Enough of the busy list. I have been finding moments here and there to sew. . .

So this is a little progress. The top one is a simple panel with a simple border, made for Basically Babies. The next one is another panel, two borders and the binding matches the animal eyes. Double click to see them. It was in my stash and perfect -- at least I like it the best so far. I used the same panto on all of them. 

I've several more panels and kits to make up for children and give to charity so am only collecting ideas or drooling over patterns for anything else after that. These little ones are quick to make and fun. I heard a quilter on TQS say that when we hit a slump or feel between a rock and a hard place, to make simple quilts to get out of that low mood. Our move didn't make me low, but it did make me tired, so that advice was perfect. Using the same panto also made these baby quilts quick and easy!