Baby Quilt Update #1

The littlest girl had her taster session at pre school today, ahead of her starting there after Easter. Why am I telling you this? Well, because half a morning of playing with toys and being surrounded by adoring Bigger Girls offering to be her personal guide to where everything was, meant she was tired out by the time we came home. And she slept!

I have lost my enthusiasm for sewing lately. Not sure why. Maybe down to the miserable weather outside, making me want to curl up on the sofa in the evenings. Maybe my mind is full of other things. Who knows. Whatever it is, I haven't felt like whirring into action and being super creative by the time the girls are down in their beds. A big mug of tea, some chocolate and whatever rubbish has been on TV has won the day.

And so, with some rare daylight sewing time dangled in front of me, a bit of hoovering and housework already under my belt (thus easing my sense of guilt at `slacking off') I found myself feeling inspired. Well, mildly more motivated than what has become the norm lately.

What you see before you is hopefully going to end up as a baby quilt for the new arrival. I've never made a proper quilt before (not sure this will qualify as a `proper' quilt either!), so am keeping it simple.

Fabric from FabricRehab

No pattern or particular plan in mind - just squares sewn together. I've got some vague memories of reading other people's blogs about quilt making and think I know roughly how to get started, and will rely on the trusty internet for help as and when I need it.

As you can see, so far I have cut out the squares - good for getting practise at using the rotary cutter (never been my strong point) and mat, and, then randomly set out the squares on the front room carpet.

I think (!) the finished quilt should be about a metre square - this has not been planned, but rather, determined by how many 11 cm squares I could cut out of the seven fat quarters of fabric I'd chosen.

I'd picked up this little tip about piles of rows with post it notes from Even Artichokes Have Hearts, who is also in the process of making her first quilt (a much more complicated and impressive looking one than mine, I hasten to add!).

My Mum is also making her first quilt, and that too is destined for the new arrival. If gorgeous handmade bedding has any sway over how well a baby sleeps (if only, huh?), this new little one is going to be a dream - a knitted blanket made collectively by some of my closest friends and a couple of quilts.

Pencil pot made out of a piece of junk mail from a garden centre

Meanwhile, with snow outside this weekend, the Blue Peter dream lives on in the house. This empty cocoa pot gave me and the biggest girl inspiration for a quick take on paper mache. Much quicker. No messy flour paste or newspaper, just some gentle cutting and sticking with PVA glue. (Am I alone in loving peeling that stuff off fingers?)

And, you guessed it, the others would like to make one, too. And so, well, I suppose we'll just have to make more chocolate cakes so we can get through more pots of cocoa... he, he.

And, far more impressive than sheltering indoors doing cutting and sticking and watching TV, are the brilliant efforts of Alice from TheAdventuresofSarahandAlice, who ran 5 km dressed as `Where's Wally?' this weekend. In the snow. Look at her blog right now. The woman is hilarious. And, although the race is over, I'm sure she'd still appreciate some extra sponsorship for the National Literacy Trust if you happen to have your wallet within easy reach of the sofa.

And the update on the seedlings (never let it be said this does not give you a gripping on the edge of your seat type of read) is that the sunflowers continue to race ahead of their contemporaries. The sweet peas have started to make an appearance, as has the red cabbage and one runner bean seedling. But Borage? Oh, you disappoint me...