Mrs. O'Quilts Makes Baby Things

My XDIL is providing a new sister for my three grands

Baby due March 27....or tonight...who knows...My XDIL is huge!

My sister and I joined in the baby shower fun

I made:

Facecloths

Baby wash cloths

I did not use this tute.  I just put it  here so you get the idea.

I bought a package of facecloths at Marshalls.

I cut the edges off, then right sides together with pretty fabric, leaving space to turn.

Once turned...I top-stitched...voila

Pacifier lanyards (note baskets from Nancy's basket bazaar.)

I cannot find the tute for this...but there are a million of them.  I used my coupons at JoAnns for the clip, again..there are other choices online.  Mainly cutting 4 inch wide by 18 inches..ironing in half, pressing edges toward the middle to make an inch strip, top stitching both sides... I put velcro to loop thru the pacifier and sewed the clip thru the loop...It all took about 10 min each.

Missouri Star Self Binding baby receiving blanket tute

After making the self-binding receiving blanket above, I found that the simple
right sides together flannel..suggested by our Terri...is one I like much better.

Money has become very very tight here...Never having worried about money before,  I am shocked to find that raising three grandchildren on  a fixed income is quite the challenge.

We are going to have to stop all outside activities and watch our pennies...the older they get, the more expensive they are...so wishing their parents would kick in some dough..not happening..

Anyway....I was delighted to have fun making these presents with things I had on hand.

Also, teaching values to my darlings.. Money is important, but made with love is better.

I am alone in my journey.

I vow that we will  be OK

Today was a day...after my nap...or two...I was able to jacket up

and read outside in our wonderful Carolina Blue...skies

Life is good...even Stitch got outside time with Zoe and me.

 I am realizing that I worked all my life..for the joy of napping and doing what I wanted..
Which seems to be...sitting on the porch in the sun and reading.

Why now am I guilty when I do this?

Time is running out around here...

I certainly do not want to clean.

And...FYI, again fromMissouri
dog bed

Nice to report...a restful weekend.

xo

Oh, Happy Day...

Cleaning the quilting room always leads to great finds!!  I found 9 facecloths with the binding cut off...just waiting to be matched with pretty fabric and finished...Done!

 I found tons of orphan blocks destined to be potholders...more fun...

 A cold winter's day led me right to the pantry where I found Nancy's homemade delights from her pear tree.  I am keeping this one to add to Marie's famous chicken salad.

 On Tuesdays, Panera has a deal on bagels.  My lunch was an onion bagel with yummy pear preserves.  Thank you Nancy!!

Snow is predicted to start shortly in Charlotte..unusual for us...This indulgent grandmother sprung for these at Walmart this morning....These with some double socks should make the snow play better.  They did not have my size...I love them anyway.

 Tile all done on the downstairs handicap bathroom renovation.

And then there is this skirt from Eithne.  Thank you Eithne...a few tucks in the waist made someone quite happy last night.

 You know that a tablet reads better when one wears a pretty skirt.  So admired by Zoe.

 Found these too for a hospital quilt...someday...not today...back into the mess they go...lol..

Debbie posted about adorable small design boards from Bee in my Bonnet.  I love small design boards, but never ever thought of the glue gun and the colored bindings.  I make mine with staples and these are way cuter!

Facecloth love....finished

I know that you understand that when a person buys a deal...like 3 packages of facecloths with 8 in each package, that that means one has to make all 24 facecloths...I mean it is an obsession thing..  If it is to be relaxing, then let it be really relaxing.  The best part of this was adoring the fabric scraps.  They are so cute.  In fact I think I am in love with the facecloths too.  Maybe I will keep them all and not touch them, just like not wanting to cut up my best fabric...You know that today is Mental Health Day.  I have been waiting for it all year:)

I thought I would let you all enjoy the facecloth pictures before I start to ruminate. This is not a political blog nor is it a religious one.  But on the topic of religion, in the past few years I have come to believe that if there is a God, it is not me.  This epiphany would have been heresy in my younger years, but the truth cannot be denied as I age.  Knowledge is one thing, putting it into practice and letting go, going with the flow...one day at a time...is all something quite different.  And yes, all of this is about my mother ....again..  Evidently I have been whining.  It is painful.  I know that she will be 91 in May and that she is of clear mind.  How lucky is that.  I am grateful.  The med tech at her facility tells me to be grateful. He is from Ghana and has seen life from a different angle.  One of her caregivers is from Liberia.  She says to put a smile on my face and be grateful that my mother has had such a will to live and to celebrate life and to spread the joy..I am grateful...the smile on my face, I am not sure of that one.  This whole end of the road thing is bringing my own mortality into play.  Stamp my foot, throw a fit...I do not like that either!  So I am working on broadening my horizons to help me cope.  Nadia has exposed me to a new to me blog Teri's. Teri lives in Libya sharing her life through the revolution...so I am planning on chin up.....OOOO nooo, the Hospice nurse just called with bad news, another UTI and hallucinations and how many times do we want to treat a UTI which is coming from C.Diff and Parkinsons....so forget the chin up thing....and forget carrots.  I need a cookie to cry with and a friend or two.

Facecloths for kids

I am continuing to sew for fun, mindlessly in between visits to my mother.  The latest relaxation comes from Fairy Face Designs.  There are a number of tutorials out there for this, but I happened upon this one and went for it.  She used facecloths from IKEA..which I would have liked for the bright colors.  But I was too lazy to drive up there and went to Marshals instead.  There I found nice pastel colors in pink, blue and yellow, 8 facecloths for $3.99.  You could of course use terrycloth yardage, but this was very convenient for me.

I washed and dried the facecloths.  Then squared them up by cutting off the binding edges.  I put right sides together with a pretty piece of fabric, left about 3 or 4 inches open for turning, turned, pressed and top stitched, using the walking foot.  The Fairy Face post did a zigzag, but I preferred a topstitch, once along the very edge to secure the opening and once more 1/2 inch in for both accent and durability.  I have been going nuts with these..enjoying the process.  A few tied nicely with a bow is a good present for a baby.  I bought a stack of each color, I think it is 50 cents for each facecloth. (Sherry?)

On another subject, I was comparing notes with  Rayna about Parkinson's in the family...ugh ugh ugh...she had this site on one of her posts that just delighted me...made me laugh out loud...I needed that.  Margaret and Helen.  I added it right away to my Google Reader as I love to laugh.  It is political, so if you are not a Democrat..you would want to skip it.  Otherwise...laugh on my friends and thank you Rayna for everything.